Megami Ayakashi: Persona
by Shade Cossack Fair
Summary: In a world full of Ghosts, Daemons and Ghost Agents, the Guild already has it's hands full. But wait, what problems does the Midnight Carnival cause to the Ghost Guild. Moreover, why is it all related to the newest Ghost Agent?


**Hello Everyone! Okay, I know I haven't been really updating much on God Eater Burst: Despaired Silence. You can say I've been hitting quite a number of writer's blocks lately. This story is something that I have thought of for a while after playing Ayakashi Ghost Guild. (Reminds me so much of Persona!) I know I haven't really played anything Persona related, so please bear with me on this, 'kay? Anyways, on with the story!**

**{-}**

* * *

**{- November 20****th**** 2009 -}**

"Nee-san! Nee-san!" I cried my heart out, shaking the sleeping woman lying in front of me. Flame, carnage, and destruction everywhere. Why did it have to happen? Why do the people I care so much for have to be taken away? It's… It's not fair.

The losses weighing heavily in my mind, I continued to shake her, regardless of how hopeless it is. I just wish it wasn't. "Nee-san! Nee-san!" I called out to her desperately. "Please, wake up!"

'Nee-san…'

.

.

.

"**Do you wish to save this girl?"**

"Huh?" I looked up, hearing a voice appear out of nowhere. Suddenly, a butterfly flutterred beside me. It's bright blue wings somehow calming my senses. Suddenly, just as it hovers over Nee-san, the blue sparkles falling from its wings seem to make Nee-san groan a bit.

So she's alive!

"Nee-san! Nee-san!" I called out to her, clinging onto whatever hope I have left. "Wake up!"

"**She doesn't have much time, we must hurry before she vanishes."**

Looking at the butterfly, I knew that it is where the voice is coming from.

I didn't know what came out of my mouth, all I could say was. "…how?" Suddenly, the butterfly glows a blinding flash of blue, making me cover my eyes. When I opened them, what laid before me was a paper, and a pen beside it.

"**If you accept this contract, she will be able to live."**

"**And do not fear, all you have to do to abide by the contract is to accept full responsibility for your actions."**

Looking at the contract, I could make out the words as clear as daylight.

"_I, _, chooseth this fate of my own free will."_

At first I hesitated, fearing what would lie ahead of me if I signed it. Catching myself, I bravely reached for the pen. Only one thought went through my mind as I signed my full name. If this single action would save the only scrap of hope I have left, so be it.

"_I, __Kikutorikai Shu__, chooseth this fate of my own free will."_

It was then the paper and pen shined a bright blue again before reverting to the same glowing blue buterfly again, which then fluttered onto Nee-san's body. Glowing brightly, both the butterfly and Nee-san merged into a single ball of blue flame; I think it's called a will-o-wisp.

Floating upwards slowly, the ball orbited around me really fast before instantly entering my body.

It took me a few seconds to register what happened before a great pain entered my mind, it felt like I was burning on the inside. When it finally subsided, I fainted and laid there before closing my eyes.

For some reason… before my vision went black… I couldn't help but feel…

…Complete.

**{- Nine years and two months later -}**

**{- January 20****th****, 2018 -}**

**{- Saturday -}**

"Shu!" I heard a voice calling my name. I sighed before opening my eyes, must be that dream again. I wonder why I keep on having it.

"Good, you're awake. We've arrived!" A woman, scratch that, my foster mother announced to the back of the car where I am sitting. After removing my glasses to rub the sand off my eyes before putting them back on, I glanced out of the car window from the back seat. And there it was, our new home. It looked like your average traditional Japanese household, complete with bamboo floors, sliding paper doors and wooden roofs. Of course, there were a few modern additions to it such as the metal gate and the postbox.

"_As well as a few other electrical appliances,"_ I noted silently as we went inside. Just like outside, the interior of the house is timelessly traditional, the decorations seemingly untouched by age. That, or it could be due to some Ghosts inhabiting this place, taking care of the house for its previous occupants.

"I hope you don't mind the Ghosts here," Okaa-san sounded again as she laid down our stuff from the back of our car. "But knowing your work, you would actually love their company. They're a little shy around new people though."

Huh, then I guess I'll just interact with them when I can. We then spent the rest of the time unloading our luggage from the car and unpacking them before sorting them out.

**{- an hour later -}**

Sorting my room took a while, but it now resembled what I had envisioned in mind. Still, I can't help but notice that I was being watched. Particularly by a mirror situated in my room. Moving towards it, I could feel a presence from it, but tried not to show it. The mirror seems to be old, but well taken care of. According to what I had been taught, with this old mirrorin such perfect condition, it would make a very good host for an Anima Ghost. More specifically, a Mirror spirit. Though he/she is probably too shy to come out right now. Oh well. Perhaps I shouldn't bother him/her.

"Shu~! Could you help me with the furniture here?" I heard Okaa-san call me from downstairs. Replying, I start moving downstairs before I thought back to the mirror. I wonder... Should I at least get his/her attention?

* * *

1) Forget it, Okaa-san's probably expecting you.

2) Knock on the mirror.

3) Leave a message. ~~

* * *

"Could you wait a bit?" I called down to Okaa-san. "There's something I need to do first." I couldn't hear her reply as I was already moving to take one of the yellow post-it notes in my drawer. Writing a bit on the paper, I pasted it on the Old Mirror before walking down the steps. While I felt a little bit courageous by my act, I hope he/she wouldn't mind me detecting his/her presence...

_**Your Courage has increased~!**_

**{-}**

_A boy? I wonder who he is?_

_Ah! He's coming to the mirror now! Oh, looks like he's just inspecting it. Why do I suddenly feel disappointed now?_

_Looks like Mistress is already calling him back down. Just as he was about to move downstairs, he stopped and called down to Mistress before moving back to his desk. Looks like he's writing something._

_He's moving towards the mirror again...to paste the piece of paper on the mirror._

_Oh, good grief! Teenagers these days! Can't they show some respect and not treat mirrors like a notice board?_

_As the boy moved downstairs, I can't help but inspect the message. My goodness, he even put it on the wrong side-_

_...wait. What's written on there again?_

"_Hi there! My name is Shu, and it's nice to meet you. I would really like to get to know you, so, what's your name?"_

_...huh?_

_EEEEHHHHHH!? You mean all this time he noticed me!?_

**{-}**

Coming back down from my room, I found Okaa-san having trouble with the sofa again. It was easy to fix though. Now we need to sort out the other furniture in the house.

"So, how was your room?" She asked. Hmm, how should I say it?

* * *

1) There's this Old Mirror… ~~

2) It's nice and cozy.

3) Please don't disturb it.

* * *

After moving the table, I decided to tell her about the Old Mirror.

"Old Mirror?" she asked me before realising what I was talking about. "Oh! You mean Mira? Well, since you have your job as a Ghost Agent, it's kind of inevitable for you to notice her this soon. Should I call her down for you?"

Hmm, should I?

* * *

1) Call her down.

2) Continue working as per normal.

3) She needs her space. ~~

* * *

"No, I don't think we should call her down." I politely declined. "Like you said, they're probably shy Ghosts around this house, so I'll respect their personal space until they would want to talk to me."

"…wow, that's... very thoughtful of you, Shu." Okaa-san took a second to gather that in before smiling proudly. "Even so, I'll still get the both of you to meet. After all, she is going to become your future Partner."

_**Your Understanding has increased~!**_

"That reminds me!" she exclaimed as we start sweeping the floor. "Since you passed all the tests, the Guild has decided to give you one last step before you become an official Ghost Agent.

"But since you only just moved here, I told them that it would be best for you to get used to the area first. Besides, you're already starting your first year in high school, so I don't think it wise to neglect your own education, right?"

Well…

* * *

1) Oh, okay. I understand.

2) Agreed! Education is just as important as Ghost-dealing! ~~

3) But what about the requests?

* * *

I could say that, but I'm just not Expressive enough.

* * *

1) Oh, okay. I understand. ~~

2) Agreed! Education is just as important as Ghost-dealing! X

3) But what about the requests?

* * *

"Oh… okay…" I said with a gloomy, downcast expression with my face 'tearing up'. "I understand…" Sneaking a glance, I saw Okaa-san having a slight blush on her face before she composed herself.

"Eh? B-b-but it's not like School would completely take up your time…" she explained hurriedly, trying to get my hopes up. "You'll still have time to do so after School ends…

"Besides, I'll be here sorting out your requests while you're at school. At least that takes care of extra work when you come back…" With that, I immediately changed my expression to a bright smile, making her notice it.

"..ah. That acting of yours." She laughs as she says this. "Why do I always fall for that?"

As we both laughed joyfully, I knew that I had just made the day brighter for the both of us.

_**Your Expression has increased~!**_

"Well, now that we're done with the house," Eh? You mean we've finished already? "I'll just drive you to school and tell you how to get there along the way, 'kay?"

I nodded before going up to my room and changing.

.

.

I think it's better to change in the bathroom. What if the Ghost behind the Old Mirror is a she?

**{- Arashi Saku High School -}**

I waved at Okaa-san as I watched her move away. I then turned to view the whole outline of Arashi Saku High School.

...There doesn't seem to be anything special about it...

With nothing much to do, I went into the main hall to see where my classroom is.

**{-}**

Huh, Class 1-D. Time to head it seems I would have to turn in my entry form to my homeroom teacher. Let's see here… Class 1-D… Ah, Miss Koizumi Yuko. …Apparently, I don't know where she is. She should probably be in the Teacher's Staff Room, but just to be sure…

"Hello there," a female Senpai greeted as I apporached the counter. "Welcome to Arashi Saku High School. How may I be of assistance?"

…okay, what do I want to ask again?

* * *

1) Ask about the food here.

2) Ask about where to hand the entry form.

3) Ask about Ms Koizumi. ~~

4) Nothing, I'm good.

* * *

"Do you know where Ms Koizumi is?" I asked politely.

"Oh! Well, she should probably be in the staff room with all the other Teachers." Senpai started explaining before she stopped and looked at me with an inquisitive look. "Wait… Why did you specifically ask for her?"

…what the heck does she think I am? Some sort of high school stalker who prefers older women? What should I say?

* * *

1) You need to know her location.

2) You need to pass her the entry form. ~~

* * *

"Well, I've been assigned to Class 1-D, and she's my homeroom teacher." I replied truthfully.

"…Okay, you passed the test." Test? What test? "Sorry. It's something I always pull on the first years just to get them all jittery and awkward. It's kind of fun to watch~!"

…

* * *

1) Agree? ~~

2) Disagree?

3) Just continue staring.

* * *

"Actually, I kind of understand where you're coming from…" I admitted, speaking my thoughts aloud.

This surprises her. "Eh? You do?"

Nodding my head with a smile, I explained. "…well, sometimes cracking harmless jokes at another's expense can make a day brighter. At least, that's what I think."

"Oh, I see…" Judging by the shaking of her head, she realises that we're getting off topic. "So, is there anything else you need help with?"

* * *

1) Ask about the food here.

2) Ask about the Staff Room's location. ~~

3) Nothing, I'm good.

* * *

"So where's the Staff Room?" I asked.

"Oh! Sorry, forgot to tell you that." She apologised as she scratched the back of her head. "You'll find it on the third floor, down that way." She pointed to her left at a hallway entrance to emphasise her point.

"Anything else?" she asked.

* * *

1) Ask about the food here. ~~

2) Nothing, I'm good.

* * *

"How's the food here?" I inquired curiously. Her eyesbrows shot upward slightly, as if she wasn't expecting that from a first year.

"…it's good." She says. "Though, there's this popular drink that sells everywhere. It's called Lifting Spirits. For some reason, you'll feel instantly refreshed after drinking it. We only have the cheap, small bottles though, so you'll only feel slightly more refreshed.

"On the other hand, the average 250ml bottle can lift up your spirits to the point that an Extremely Tired person will feel Great after one whole bottle. But honestly, I don't know how the drink does this. It's just sparkling water, after all."

Hmm, that can come in handy.

"Well, thank you. I'll be on my way." As I turned to walk to the Teacher's Staff Room, Senpai called me from behind.

"For the record, the name's Poniko." She introduced herself. "I know it's not my real name, but my real one's hard to pronounce anyway." I smiled and nodded, keeping her name in mind.

As I walked to the Teacher's Staff Room, I went past a man in a suit. I can't help but stare at him, or rather what's following him. From the looks of it, a girl in kendo gi and armor seems to be floating right behind him. An Anima Ghost, probably. And judging by her kendo appearance, I think it's safe to say that she's the spirit of a shinai. I'll keep that in mind.

"Hey, do you know about that radio channel?" I overheard a few girls gossiping.

"You mean Midnight Carnival, the radio channel that only comes out at midnight? Yeah, I've heard of it." Another girl replied. "In fact, the DJ said that the channel is going to have two guest appearances tonight…"

Midnight Carnival? While I myself don't really tune in to Radio Channels to hear songs and interviews, I don't think I have ever heard a channel called Midnight Carnival before. It does sound interesting, I think I'll keep that in mind.

Without further ado, I headed to the Teacher's Staff Room.

**{- Staff Room -}**

As expected, the room is full of homeroom teachers who are busy with other students. Fortunately, I found Ms Koizumi without much difficulty. What's more, she was free!

"So, you're another one of my new students, eh?" I handed to her my entry form. I could not help but notice how she can dress so casually yet make it look professional. Not to mention the lollipop she was sucking.

"Okay, so…" she started as she registered me on the school system. "Your name's Shu Kikutorikai Kramer, wow that's a mouthful. And you will be stuck with my class for your whole three years in high school. Well, I would love to get to know my students individually, but…

And just as she said that, the school bell rang. "I would take too much of your time. Since you're new here, I'll show you to the Gathering Hall since I'm going there as well."

I really don't know what to think of Ms Koizumi. At one point, she does act like a teacher, and the next she doesn't. Then again, who am I to judge people based on first encounters?

**{- And so, we move to the classroom -}**

**{- After school -} (2:00 PM)**

As I started packing my things, I notice a girl starting to approach me. Her red hair seems to be tied up in a quirky mix of a braid and swerved to one side. And her hair clips are in a Roman numeral of 22 (XXII). Accompanying her face are a pair of bright red eyes. Wow, I can practically see the word "upbeat" dancing around in them.

"Umm, do you need anything?" I asked her politely. I don't think this is a sudden confession of love, since one performed on a first day in the first year will become too sudden.

"Yeah, I was wondering why you're packing up so fast." She noted. "Everyone else is mingling…"

What do I say to that?

* * *

1) I never got the chance to do so.

2) I've got to get back to my part-time job. ~~

3) I got urgent things to do back home.

* * *

Okay, that's a no-no. I can't just outright tell her about the Guild. Besides, I don't think I'm brave enough to face getting laughed at.

* * *

1) I never got the chance to do so.

2) I've got to get back to my part-time job. X

3) I got urgent things to do back home. ~~

* * *

"My mom called me. Said I need to come back home after school." I half-lied. "Just some minor issues to take care of since I just moved in…"

"Oh! So you're new here…" she noted again before putting up a cheerful smile. "In that case, since I got nothing to do here either, want me to show ya around?"

I smiled at the honest offer, but declined politely. "Thanks, but maybe some other time?" I really need to get back home now.

"Oh, okay then…" she looks slightly disheartened at this. But then her smile brightens up again. "Well, the offer still stands!" I nodded my head and turned to walk out of the classrom.

"Ah! I almost forgot!" she called out to me, making me turn my head back towards her. "The name's Amai Hamuko! Don't you forget it!"

Well, with a name like that, it's hard not to.

**{- Home -}**

"Tadaima..." I called out as I entered the house.

"Oh, Shu!" she called out from the kitchen. Judging by the smell, she's probably preparing dinner. "You're back! Get changed into your Guild Uniform! I'll be giving you your first request after lunch!"

With that, I headed up to my room. I stared at the Guild Uniform, taking note the Japanese words at the back forming Onmyouroku in vertical position.

Ayakashi Ghost Guild. Shortened to "Ghost Guild" or simply, "The Guild". It's an Organization that houses and trains Ghost Agents, people who can see Ghosts and have the power to make them their Daemons. The Guild is also dedicated to protecting humanity from the spooky deeds of rogue Ghosts everywhere.

Their uniform is actually just basic normal clothing. It has only been decorated with protection talismans that not only protect us from Ghost attacks, it also marks us as a Ghost Agent without being too conspicuous. For mine, it's just a thin, double layered black hoodie with three red talismans adorning the left shoulder and the Guild's logo at the back.

Putting it on over a white, buttoned-up long sleeved shirt, I started to exit my room before taking sight of my reflection in the Old Mirror. Short, black hair neatly yet messily combed on my head and green eyes staring back at me. The look is complimented by a pair of black glasses that, when shone against the light, shine a peculiar red colour.

...

I look kind of dull, don't I?

Oh, wait. I forgot something! Opening one of my drawers, I pulled out a pair of ear pieces. Sure they don't really work anymore, but they were a gift from a friend a while back. I wonder how he is doing right now? Shaking my head, I hung them on the back of my neck and let them fall to the sides of my neckline.

Satisfied, I walked down to the living room to meet Okaa-san and my new Partner.

**{-}**

I slid open the door to reveal Okaa-san already setting the table with the dishes. But that isn't what I was focusing on. Along with Okaa-san, there was a girl who's currently sitting by our table. She seems human, but unless that is cosplay, it's kind of unusual for someone to wear that much traditional clothing.

Looking down, I could see that out of the two women in front of me, only one of them has a shadow. Okaa-san. Well, that can only mean one thing.

"Tadaima, Okaa-san." I greeted Okaa-san.

"*sigh* I'm not even going to complain about you saying it more than once." She smiled as she turned to face me. "So, how wa-"

She gasped when she saw me. Was it the way I dressed? Looking into her eyes, I could see she was beginning to tear up. ...should I?

* * *

1) Ask if she's okay. ~~

2) Keep quiet.

* * *

"Umm, Okaa-san?" I hesitated. "Daijobu?"

Just with that, she seemed to snap out of it and wiped whatever was in her eyes. "Yes! It it's nothing..." she smiled happily like it was okay, even though we both knew it was anything but. "It's just that, you resemble your father so much in that uniform...

"Oh, look at me rambling. Come, let's eat."

Shrugging it off, I sat down next to the girl beside me.

**{-}**

Halfway through eating, I noticed that the girl beside me still hasn't spoken yet. Then again, this is the kind of family where we eat in silence.

Even so, this is the first time we have seen each other, so why not strike a conversation?

* * *

1) Comment on the food. ~~

2) Introduce yourself.

3) Use current knowledge.

4) Just continue eating.

* * *

"Okaa-san's cooking sure is good, huh..." I note, seemingly talking to myself.

"Eh? You're her son?" she seems surprised. "But Mistress never told me she had a child..."

I turned to look at Okaa-san. "...Mistress?"

"*sigh* Mira, how many times have I told you," she chastised while rubbing the bridge of her nose. "It's 'Master' not 'Mistress'... A lot of misunderstandings are going to come up from that, you know.

"Anyways, now that you've finally said something, I think it's about time the two of you got introduced. Mira, meet your new Master, Shu. Shu, meet your Tsukumogami Informant, Mira."

"Mi-I mean, Master, has told me all about you, Shu." Mira smiled as she says this. "My heartfelt congratulations on becoming the new lead ghost agent! From what I can tell, I would really like to work with you."

"And you will, after we've finished eating…" Okaa-san concluded the conversation and we went back to eating.

**{-}**

"Alright, now before you start galavanting," Okaa-san stood up and took out ten purple coins from a small bag she had. "You first need to refresh on summoning your Daemon. Especially since you don't have one right now…"

"Fortunately, this should be basic for you. Just arrange these Summoning Tokens into a circle and write this on the floor using your Marker." She emphasised this by pulling out a slip of paper showing a Japanese kanji character. "You don't have to worry about dirtying the floor. The results would immediately wipe out any evidence that a summoning took place, other than the residual spiritual energy…"

Nodding my head, I placed the little purple coins into a ring shape. Taking out my Marker and drawing a kanji, a summoning circle appeared in front of us.

Just a little incantation on my part and…

"Hey there! Is it time for me to do my stuff?"

…out comes a daemon. From the green glow of the card that comes with her, she seems to be an Anima. As soon as I picked it up, she vanishes into it. Typical of Daemons.

"Barbetta (Initial Form). The soul of an Italian automatic pistol. Due to its excellent design, it was manufactured up to 1980." The card read.

"You got a soul of a gun as your daemon! Goodness, you're off to a good start aren't you, Master?" Mira praised me.

"Master?" Did she call me Master?

"Well, it's only appropriate, right?" she asked.

How should I answer this?

* * *

1) Yes, it is.

2) I prefer you don't.

3) What about her? ~~

* * *

I turned to face Okaa-san to inquire about that. But she beat me to it.

"Just call me Alicia-san."

"Oh, okay then." Mira noded. "Alicia-san it is."

"Well, here's the request." Okaa-san said before she pulled out an enveloppe from her pocket and started to read it aloud.

"Your first task is to Cleanse the area around you. Particularly, areas with a high amount of Negative Spritual Energy. You can see them as dark purple will-o-wisps, and only Ghost Agents can see them. Just go up to them and use a simple Incantation 1."

I have a feeling she added a few parts here and there.

Looking up from the assignment slip, Okaa-san asked. "Okay, with that settled, are you ready to go?"

* * *

1) Yes. ~~

2) No.

* * *

"Yup." At my answer Okaa-san smiled before turning the other way.

"Good. But before you go, there's one last thing I would like to give you." It took her a while before she finally got out with a long, rod-shaped object wrapped in cloth.

"Go ahead, untie it." She encouraged me after laying it in my hands. Unwrapping the cloth, I was greeted by a shakujo. Just like a normal shakujo, it was a long staff with a huge ring of metal at the end. The ring has another rod going through it that splits the ring in half. On both halves of the ring, two smaller metal rings adorn each half, with a bit of metal on both halves to keep the rings near to the staff part.

What really made it intriguing was that the shakujo itself was slightly bigger than normal. In fact, it looks a lot more like a sheathed sword, now that I think about it. Grasping the rod in the metal ring, that I found was big enough to fit my own hand, I pulled at it, taking note the growing smile on Okaa-san's face.

I was surprised the handle gave way to a long, one-handed metal blade. Fascinated, I examined the blade to find that it has the appearance of a ninjato, except the sharp edge seems to be on the back of the blade. Likely taken from the principle behind the sakabato. Not to mention the fact that it is hidden in a non-lethal weapon like a shakujo would make it a cane sword.

Though the fact that the blade itself was based off a ninjato, it's likely that such a cane sword would last a while…

Sheathing it, I looked at Okaa-san, who seems ready to answer anything I say at this point.

* * *

1) Thank her for the gift.

2) Ask about the cane sword.

3) Say all the above. ~~

* * *

"Arigato, Okaa-san." I thanked her, bowing in gratitude. "But if I may ask, why did you make this into a cane sword? And a durable one at that…"

Chuckling a little, Okaa-san explained. "Well, in the future, it is extremely likely that you would come across dangerous Ghosts. Especially ones that won't hesitate to take your life, even though there's very few of those nowadays. If you would like, you can use the staff to inflict blunt damage that won't kill a Ghost, Daemon or Ghost Agent. The blunt edge of the blade is meant for when battles start to get serious. And when you really feel like your life is on the line, use the sharp edge."

"And before I forget, there is a little extra which I added at the other end of the Shakujo." I immediately looked at the blunt end of the staff. That is when I noticed the kanji for purification. {清め} "Striking any object or living being with this will inflict a minor cleanse on any Negative Spiritual Energy, leaving he/she/it disoriented for a while. You can even use it on yourself in case you get affected by any Negative Spiritual Energy."

Thanking Okaa-san once again, I found that the cloth wrap can be used as a makeshift sheath for the shakujo, allowing it to be slung over my back. It's kind of funny when you think about it.

"Well, we'll be on our way now. Ja ne!" With that, Mira and I walked out of the house, waving goodbye to Okaa-san as she waved to us.

**{-}**

_Staring back at his departing form, I couldn't help but feel proud and worried at the same time. Well, as his mother, it's okay to feel this way._

_Closing the door, I walked back into my bedroom to find a picture with three young people inside smiling joyfully. They are all Ghost Agents. Or to be more accurate, the two dark-haired boy and girl are Ghost Agents and while the ginger-haired girl was the Informant._

_My, I looked so young back then. Looking into the mirror, it seems I still do for someone my age. Though there's a little early white hair sprouting out along with my ginger hair._

_I sighed, placing the picture back on top of my drawer._

_Oh Hiromi, Yuuto. He has grown so fast during these nine years. If only you were here to see him._

_Well, I think it's about time I prepare dinner for when they come back._

**{- 15 minutes later -} (2:15 PM)**

"Wow, we sure cleansed a lot of Negative Spiritual Energy, huh?" Mira noted. "But it's quite strange. Usually there isn't this much gathering around here. Good thing we took the extra ten minutes to purify more of it."

Even so, I'm worried. But looking at it, it's not like we can do anything about it anytime soon.

"Master! I just received a series of strange reports!" Nodding at her to go ahead, Mira relayed the telepathic message to me. Aloud, of course. "There's an area in Shibuya where spring hasn't come. In fact, it remains covered in snow!"

When it's this late in spring and only confined to one area, you know this is the work of a Ghost.

"Then let's go." I spoke before we started going towards the station. "Although I'm kind of worried."

"Why is that, Master?" Mira asked.

I shared my worries. "Even if we can go to and fro by train, I think there's a high chance we'll be late for dinner."

Smiling softly, a warm glow emitted from her as she sent my worries away. "…that's okay. I'm sure Alicia-san would understand, right?"

Glancing back at her as we ran, I can't help but smile as well. "Yeah, you're right."

_**Your Understanding has increased~!**_

**{-}**

_Well, well. A Ghost Agent, huh… Let's see what this so-called agent is capable of…_

**{- Shibuya -} (3:45 PM)**

Finding the location wasn't really hard. After all, it's even harder not to notice snow covering the town near the station. I feel kind of bad for the people cleaning up this snow, especially since it will all melt away once Mira, Barbetta and I are done here…

Just as we stepped into the pile of snow at our feet, Mira perked up. "Wait! I can sense distress signals coming from over there! Let's take a look."

Just as she said that, a cold wind washed over us, making us shiver a little bit.

'Ya think?' I thought as we ran over to the source of the signal.

**{-}**

"Whoopee! Who needs silly old spring, anyway!?"

It didn't really take long to find the Ghost responsible. From what I can tell from its white hair accompanied by baggy clothes, I could tell that this was a Snow Sprite. And usually weather-based Ghosts like this one are Phantom types.

"Winter's much more fun! Take that!" And with that, the little Snow Sprite flung two snowballs right at our faces.

"OW! What's the big idea, huh!?" Mira shouted, with some snow still on her head.

… Did I just see the snowball heading towards me get flicked away? Must be my imagination

"Naniiii!? Are? You can see me?" The Snow Sprite questioned before putting a hand to her chin. "Oohhh… I see! You must be a ghost as well, huh? But what on earth are you doing with a human? Unless-

"A Ghost Agent!? Oh no, I'm not letting you cleanse me!" Suddenly, icicles started appearing out of nowhere. Though for some reason, they all suddenly got flicked away, with some dropping to the ground after being… sliced?

That was when I realised I had unsheathed my sword. But that's impossible, my swordplay was never this good before…

"Be careful Master! She's doing it again!" Just as the icicles started to head towards us, I fished out the summoning card from my pocket.

"BARBETTA!" Throwing the card forward, Barbetta came out and started firing on the icicles, not missing a single one.

"Buon giorno, Master!" she greeted, spinning her firearm around her index finger. "You okay?"

Nodding my head in reassurance, I couldn't help but ask. "You think you can take it from here?"

"Va bene! You can count on me!"

And with that, Barbetta rushed forward, aiming her pistol at Snow Sprite. As expected of a gun-based Anima, her accuracy was spot on. Already, Snow Sprite is getting pummeled by Barbetta's bullets. However, she soon summoned a wall of ice and an immense blizzard covered us.

We were soon blinded by the white powder blowing into our faces. Just before I could think that Snow Sprite is using the snowstorm to cover her escape, I heard a yell from behind me. Turning around, I saw that Barbetta had managed to sidestep an icicle, even though it was enough to graze her. This was soon followed by two more icicles, which we tried our best to dodge.

And soon came a barrage of icicles. With Mira behind me and Barbetta, we blocked off the incoming icicle barrage. But by then our energy was already spent. Barbetta is already starting to get translucent. Well, Phantom Ghosts are stronger than Anima Ghosts. As for me, I'm surprised that I'm standing on my own two feet.

And as if that weren't enough, Snow Sprite finally appeared before us, with a giant snowball floating above her.

"HAHAH! I'm not scared of Ghost Agents!" she yelled maniacally. "They just want to seal me away! They all want to take me away from what I love! But no more. I'll just finish you, and then I'll go back to what I love doing! HAHAHAAAHHHH!"

I don't know why, but I can sense hurt in the Snow Sprite's voice. That girl, how long has she been chased? I can understand that she needs to be captured because she is disrupting the seasons in this area, but to take it this far… To seal her away just because of that? No. That is not how it should go…

I… I want to help her. If only we could somehow, speak to each other…

"_**Then so be it…"**_

Huh? Wait, what's this energy surrounding me? I feel, invigorated somehow. And… For some reason… I…

I…

Now know what to do.

Standing calmly, I walked forward a few steps before getting into a stance. Shakujo held high and my hand gripping the handle for the blade, I closed my eyes in focus.

"Still standing, huh?" Snow Sprite asked in minor surprise. "Then I'll just have to freeze you where you stand!"

"Master! NO!" I could hear both Mira and Barbetta cry out to me as Snow Sprite launched the oversized ball of snow towards my being. But right now, I didn't care.

All I want right now, is for us to talk to each other.

Slowly, I pulled the blade out of its sheath, green, wind-like energy forming along the blade and gathering around me. And just as the giant snowball reached me, I pulled the sword out completely and slammed it onto the ground, creating a huge hurricane of green winds that tore the giant snowball apart until it was no more.

Taking advantage of Snow Sprite's surprise, I put both the sheath and sword to my left side, focusing all my energy. And then, I opened my eyes.

"GARUDYNE!" I yelled, slashing the hurricane with my blade in a wide arc. Once I did this, the hurricane exploded with furious green winds that came out of nowhere. It tore through the snowstorm and blew it away, and Snow Sprite had to land on the ground to hold out against it.

But it was futile, she soon got blown away by the wind and had instantly slammed into the wall of a building behind her. The winds tore at her mercilessly before it finally died down and fell to the ground, knocked out.

Whereas for me, I felt extremely tired. I have no idea how I did that. But before Barbetta and Mira would start asking questions, I ran to Snow Sprite.

"Oi. Oi. Wake up." I shook her a bit before she finally came to. Instantly, fear filled her eyes before it was replaced by immense depression. Kneeling on the ground, she gloomily spoke out.

"Alright. You win. You beat me…" Really, how long has she been feeling like this? "I already caused enough trouble for this town and all of you anyway. So, just seal me already. I won't budge this time…"

With that, I moved my hand…

…and flicked her across the forehead.

"Ita!" she yelled in pain before putting her hands to her forehead. "Wha-"

"Heh, baaaaaka~." I said to her with a smile. "That was for the trouble you caused me. And besides, who said anything about sealing you?"

She seems astonished by this. "Y-you're not? After all the trouble I caused?"

"Nope." I then started explaining. "Do you know why I became a Ghost Agent?"

**{- Search Youtube "I'll Face Myself Another Version theultimateonejps" -}**

"All my life, just like other Ghost Agents, I had the power to see Ghosts and Daemons. Thing is, simply seeing them wasn't enough. I wanted to talk to them, listen to them, understand them. That is why I became a Ghost Agent. It was simply the only way I could understand them better."

* * *

1) Continue explanation. ~~

2) Ask to be her friend.

* * *

"And well, since spring's already here," I continued, standing up to look at the surrounding town. "My guess is that you missed playing around with the kids in winter. I can only imagine how wonderful that was. Besides, Mira and I found a lot of Negative Spritual Energy around here, so your desires might have screwed you around for a bit."

"Right now, you have only two choices." I concluded. "You can either migrate to the mountains, where it's always snowy, or stay here and wait for winter to come again…" Snow Sprite was happy with what I said, but once I spoke about her current choices, she suddenly looked down.

Before I could continue talking to her, she perked up and asked me. "By the way, what's your name, Master?"

Master? Wait, does that mean she wants to become my Daemon? Heh, with what I said, of course she would.

"Alright, since you asked…" I extended my hand out to her. "My name's Shu Kikutorikai Kramer. Aspiring Ghost Agent. I currently live at home with Okaa-san and my two new Daemon friends, Mira and Barbetta."

"Hi there!" Mira greeted with a smile.

"Lieto di vederla. Nice to meet you!" Barbetta said cheerfully, not minding the fact that she's already tired.

"My name, well, I'm Snow Sprite," she introduced herself brightly. "But call me Shiroyuki!"

* * *

1) That's a nice nickname.

2) Is that your real name?

3) Hmm… ~~

* * *

I stared at her, as if asking "Are you serious?".

"I-it's…" she blushed a little before yelling slightly. "I picked it because it sounded cool alright!" In the end, we all laughed together, just like good friends.

**{- stop song -}**

**{- Home -} (10:00 PM)**

"Tadaima~!" I called out as I went through the door. Surprisingly, no answer came. Then again, it was evening by the time we arrived. I had a bad feeling about that train, and it was only after I got on did I realise that we stumbled upon the rush hour. Not to mention both Mira and I were so tired from that last fight, we had slept on the train and ended up in another part of Tokyo. We had to wait for another train to take us back to Shibuya…

That became the reason why we were late.

"Do you think Alicia-san's in her room?" Mira spoke up.

"No, Okaa-san would probably be making dinner for us." I noted. "Since she would be way past finished by now, there's only one other place where she would wait at."

And as I suspected, there was Okaa-san. It seems she had prepared Curry Rice for us, but since we took such a long time to arrive back home, she must have fallen asleep on the dining table. Not to mention we were out so long that the Curry had gotten cold.

I sighed, thinking on what I should do.

* * *

1) Clean up. ~~

2) Wake her up.

* * *

"Mira," I called out to her, being careful not to wake Okaa-san up. "You mind helping me out?"

"Sure." She replied, and we got to work.

Okaa-san would probably get mad at me for this, but I think she needs her rest. Taking a plastic wrap, I wrapped the curry rice that was already served and placed them in the fridge. Similarly, Mira had covered the pot containing the curry and had placed it in the fridge too.

"You look like you have done this a lot." I noted, catching Mira's attention as she closed the fridge.

"This always happens whenever the Ghost Agent she was partnered with had arrived home late." She said nostalgically. "As an Informant, there's very little to do around the house besides settling paper work and organising missions. But as Alicia-san's an organised person, she made herself have plenty of time for everyday household chores. That includes cooking.

"When Master was late, she would sleep on the dinner table. Along with the food that they would eat for dinner."

I see.

"Mm…" I heard Okaa-san moan in her sleep before her eyes slowly blinked themselves to reality. "Ara? You're here. And the food's gone. I guess this is one of those times, huh?"

"Well, enough of that. Let's talk about your assignment." She went back to business, but she still looked sleepy. "How did it go?"

"Well, I cleansed an area full of Negative Spiritual Energy, earned some money for it (5500 yen, if I'm right..), and made a new Daemon." I summarised, showing her a card with Snow Sprite in it.

"And you did it without Cabal Chains…" she noted with pride. "You need more than people skills to get Daemons this way. Good job."

"And you don't have to worry about the food." I quickly added. "We cleaned up the kitchen for you since you are already tired."

"Oh, I see." She looked disheartened to hear that. She must have been looking forward to eating together that much, huh? Quickly, I came up with a response.

"Don't worry, we can always eat tomorrow for lunch, right?" I asked Okaa-san, hoping it would cheer her up. Seeing her smile and nod, I knew I had succeeded.

"Alright then. Let's go to sleep." She agreed with me as we both stood up and went to our rooms. "You don't look so good yourself, so you can tell me about your adventures tomorrow…"

Nodding, I went into my room and changed my clothes (telling Mira to stay outside for a while). With Mira going inside the Old Mirror to sleep, I myself had already drawn the covers on myself. Now I'll just go and sleep the night away.

**{- Day 1 – END -}**

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*TSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH* **{- Play Tartarus Block 1 (Thebel) -}**

Huh? Where am I?

Why does everything look distorted?

Damn it, I can't see anything through this fog, if it could even be called a fog. It looked more like a TV on static is shoved into my face.

I can barely even hear myself think with this distorted noise sounding through my ears.

"_Hello,_ *TSSSSSHHHHHHHH*_ and welcome to th- _*TSSSSSSHHHHHHH*_"_

Nani? Who's that?

"_I know this isn't th-_ *TSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH* _so I'll make this bri-_ *TSSSSSHHHHHH* _-o you beli-_ *TSSSSSSSHHHHHH* _-ture?"_

What? I can't hear you…

"*TSSSSSSHHHHH* _-you are now, I can only sh- _*TSSSSSSHHHHH*_"_

Suddenly, I felt my head being moved so that I'm facing downwards. And just as I was about to be questioned, my ears were covered by what felt like hands, helping me see what lay at my feet.

The Death Arcana, The Tower Arcana, and the Moon Arcana.

After that, I knew no more.


End file.
